According to Chinese tradition, the end of the lunar calendar marks the period when each household sets about their year-end cleaning. In keeping with the belief that it is best to greet the new year with a fresh start, families wash, scrub and rearrange in preparation for the arrival of the spring season.
The 24th day of the 12th lunar month is the day the "kitchen" god returns to heaven. Tradition holds that on the 25th the king of heaven, the Yu Huang Ta Ti appoints a group of deities to descend to earth and act as temporary guardians. Therefore in ancient times, ambitious housewives took advantage of this one brief period to thoroughly clean every nook and cranny. A clean house was one way to win celestial blessings.
Today, however, society has undergone massive changes, and in response to the rapid growth in population, the economy and the commercial industrial structure of the nation, the living landscape has become an entirely different stage. Block upon block of high-rise apartment towers front wide boulevards, while their inhabitants, now moving to the beat of a new life-style, find these household cleaning chores a headache.
Careful readers of the local newspapers may have noticed the growing number of ads that list "cleaning" or "waxing" services. By just making a simple phone call these companies can provide immediate service to the home. Meeting the growing needs of families engaged in active career and recreation pursuits, companies providing such cleaning services have quickly established themselves. At present the majority of household cleaning companies provide heavier services such as floor waxing, window and door work, and carpet shampooing. Customers for the most part tend to be limited to residences, small offices and restaurants. As the hours tend to be flexible and the skill level of the work not too demanding, most employees of these home cleaning companies are either older retired servicemen or housewives. Their daily schedules allow them greater freedom to engage in this line of work.
The average rates for services vary according to the nature of the job, the hazard involved and the area being serviced. In most cases homes that enlist these professional cleaning outfits tend to have accumulated more dust than most average homes, or they are households that use the service on a fixed, regular basis. On average most companies charge from US 75ψ to 90ψ per p'ing (a local standard of measure roughly equalling 6'×6').
In recent years Taipei's urban facade has assumed the air of a modern, thriving metropolis. Streets are crowded with glistening glass office and apartment towers, testament to the economic miracle of the Republic of China. Like any large urban center, the skyline of Taipei suffers from winter rains, wind and the accumulation of dirt that is typical of the urban atmosphere. In order to restore these glass edifices to their former glory, professional cleaners are called in to perform their beautifying services. Today it is not uncommon to see suspension scaffolding complete with technicians washing and cleaning these tower complexes. Chao Shih, head of the Chieh Hsing Incorporated Company says that there are two standard methods for cleaning office towers. They are water wash and dry wash methods. The water wash is a simple procedure whereby a detergent is applied to the glass and then water hoses are used to rinse it off. The only problem created by this method is that the water rinse splashes onto the sidewalks below creating a great deal of inconvenience for pedestrians. The dry wash involves special cleansing agents which are removed by either a cloth or blade-like brush. This method doesn't involve much inconvenience to pedestrians but has not won the favor of building managers as it costs nearly three times as much as the water wash.
Professional cleaners involved in such office tower work must meet certain strict conditions. Besides not suffering from acrophobia, employees must be daring, meticulous in their work and be able to stand for long periods of time while cleaning. In order to successfully operate the scaffolding safely, all employees are trained and equipment thoroughly checked before starting any job.
While professional cleaning services don't require high levels of education on the part of employees, the wide range of environments that call for their services necessitates that only those companies with extensive experience succeed. Hospitals, which adhere strictly to clean, hygienic conditions require special cleaning attention that most other areas do not. The Veterans General Hospital in suburban T'ien Mu utilizes the professional services of two outfits, Shih Wu and Tai Yi for all their cleaning and outdoor landscaping needs. Made up of retired servicemen and their families, these companies provide a complete, totally responsible service that saves the hospital a lot of worries. Employees, in response to the special demands of the hospital environment are thoroughly trained in the proper methods of handling hospital conditions.
There is one final area that calls for the expertise of professional cleaning services, the licensed pest control or exterminator. Since ancient times insect pests have provided countless hours of annoyance and frustration for household dwellers. Despite the improvements in the standard of living, pests still persist in infiltrating city homes. Today several reputable companies have been established offering safe, professional service that succeeds where normal resident attentions don't. But as the experts point out, this is only a superficial remedy to the problem. In order to make sure that pests stay out, householders must maintain stringent hygienic standards each day of the year.
As the New Year approaches busy residents should remember, if time doesn't permit a thorough cleaning, just pick up the phone and let the experts do the job.
(Gerald Hatherly)
[Picture Caption]
1. Restoring dust encrusted building complexes to their original sparkling appearance is one of the professional cleaning companies' major roles. 2. "This road is blocked, wait until it's been cleaned."
1. Cleaning services use specialized equipment to ensure complete hygienic maintenance of the residential environment. 2. Professional cleaning companies use disinfectants to clean all those easy-to-neglect corners. 3. Cleaning ponds of fallen leaves and litter is another one of the services provided by professional cleaning companies.
2. "This road is blocked, wait until it's been cleaned.".
1. Cleaning services use specialized equipment to ensure complete hygienic maintenance of the residential environment.
2. Professional cleaning companies use disinfectants to clean all those easy-to-neglect corners.
3. Cleaning ponds of fallen leaves and litter is another one of the services provided by professional cleaning companies.
